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Grammar Exercises: Past Perfect Tense (L6)

Exercise 1
RUNNING

My family (1) have been (be) runners for a very long time. My Dad (2) had run (run) the
marathon twenty times before I tried my first half-marathon. He (3) had already decided
(already decide) that he wanted his children to run marathons before I was born. Luckily, I
(4) adore (adore) running. My Dad says I (5) had learnt (learn) to run before I spoke my
first words. I (6) don’t trust (not trust) that that is true, but it describes me well. I (7) had
won (won) races before I could (8) spell (spell) ‘races’, and now I would rather run than do
anything else. I (9) had prepared (prepare) to write more, but now I feel like it’s time to go
jogging.

Exercise 2

POETRY
My older sister (1) had disliked (dislike) poetry before the poetry competition happened
at her school. She always said that she (2) had read (read) enough poems and that they
all bored her. But when she realised her friends (3) had all submitted (all submit)
poems for the competition, she felt left out. That day, once she (4) had finished (finish)
her homework, my sister wrote a poem. It took her hours. The sun (5) had risen (rise)
before she was done.

When she came home from school after the competition, she told us how much she (6)
had enjoyed (enjoy) the poems. She said that she (7) hadn’t considered (not
consider) how her friends thought before she heard their poems. She (8) had already
written (already written) two more poems on the way home from school that day. Since
then, she (9) has not said (not say) anything else bad about poetry. She even wants to

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Grammar Exercises: Past Perfect Tense (L6)

Exercise 3

FUTURE

Sometimes I (1) question (question) whether my friends are from the past. Last week, they
asked me to go to a movie, but I (2) had already seen (already see) it. The next day they
told me about the best new album, but I had (3) had bought (buy) it months before. Then
they asked me for help with homework that I (4) had handed (hand) in the week before.
Today they even (5) rode (ride) horses to school! The teacher said people (6) had not
ridden (not ride) horses to school for a hundred years before today!

Exercise 4
PHONE CALL
Alex: This morning I received a phone call from someone I (1) had not communicated
(not communicate) with for almost five years.
Sadie: That’s surprising. Who (2) called (call) you?
Alex: It was my old next-door neighbour, but he acted like we (3) had never known
(never know) each other.
Sadie: Did you tell him? Or (4) had you forgotten (forgot) him as well?
Alex: I (5) hadn’t forgotten (not forget) him, but once he (6) had started (start)
talking, I couldn’t say anything.
Sadie: What was he talking about?
Alex: I (7) didn’t listen (not listen). I was just thinking about how I (8) had lost (lose)
my Granddad’s watch in his house before we moved away.
Sadie: What if he (9) had called (call) about that and you didn’t listen?
Alex: No, he was talking about watching a movie about next-door neighbours. I think he
(10) has gone (go) crazy.
Sadie: I think you (11) have gone (go) crazy.

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Grammar Exercises: Past Perfect Tense (L6)

Exercise 5
HAIRCUT

I (1) had needed (need) a haircut for months when the new hairdresser opened. My hair (2)
had grown (grow) down to my waist, but I had (3) had not found (not find) anywhere else
where I could have it shortened. When I booked my haircut, I (4) had signed (sign) up for a
special offer, but I was not sure what it meant until I (5) arrived (arrive). When I sat down in
my chair I noticed that someone (6) had placed (place) lots of different colours of hair dye in
front of it. I (7) hadn’t explained (not explain) what I wanted when the hairdresser started
cutting my hair. I didn’t know what to do so I closed my eyes. When I looked again, my hair
(8) had transformed (transform) into a rainbow.

Exercise 6

CAMPING

I (1) had packed (pack) everything I needed for the camping trip when it started snowing.
Where I live, it (2) had never snowed (never snow) in summer before. I (3) started
(start) to put winter supplies in my bag. By the time I (4) finished (finish), the sun (5) had
come (come) out and it (6) had become (became) very hot. I (7) contacted (contact) the
friend I was going camping with and asked what he (8) had chosen (chose) to bring. As it
was raining where he lived, he (9) had decided (decide) to bring lots of waterproof things.
This made me look outside, where it (10) had begun (begin) to rain. ‘Oh’, said my friend,
‘the sun (11) has come (come) out!’. We (12) didn’t go (not go) camping.